WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of Justice today issued a Microsoft Consent Decree Compliance Advisory concerning licenses Microsoft proposes to offer for server software under the terms of the proposed consent decree. Because Microsoft agreed to be bound by certain provisions of the proposed decree pending the approval of the Court, it must begin offering the licenses on August 6, 2002.

The Department issued the advisory as part of its monitoring of Microsoft's implementation of the proposed consent decree agreed to by Microsoft, the United States and the nine settling states on February 27, 2002. The goal is to ensure that the public is apprised of important developments in compliance and thereby to facilitate appropriate input to the Department from the computer industry.

The Department has not pre-cleared the licenses and is undertaking a careful and thorough review to determine whether they are compliant with the terms of the proposed consent decree. The advisory states that, "The Department is strongly committed to ensuring that the licenses provide a mechanism for reasonable and non-discriminatory access to the relevant technology in a manner consistent with the terms of the proposed final judgment." The advisory also states that, "... the Department would benefit from industry input."

Although this is the first Consent Decree Compliance Advisory, the Department may periodically issue additional advisories as appropriate. The Department also filed today a notice of the advisory with the Court.

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